On Monday, 35-year-old Mike Vrabel was hired to take Fickell's old job.

The net result was the coaching staff dropped 30 years off its cumulative age, and possibly
picked up its overall intensity.

"It is a different feel," linebacker Tony Jackson said. "I would say it's more boosting. It's
that we want to be competitive; that's the biggest thing."

Nobody ever accused Tressel of not being competitive. But he was famously even-keeled and stoic,
only rarely showing raw emotion.

Fickell, on the other hand, is more of a yeller and screamer, at least in practices. That's not
to say he will go into histrionics on the sideline this fall, but it's safe to say he's more
naturally expressive than Tressel.

"I just remember when coach Fick (was) on the defense, he would get after the players,"
Stoneburner said. "He would yell, scream - really light a fire, and I think he's going to bring
that to the head coaching job.

"It's really going to show on game days, in practice. A lot more enthusiasm, maybe something
different; something we're not really used to."

This is the first offseason since 2004 in which OSU had more than one change on the coaching
staff. And to some extent, new blood and new ideas energize a team.

Jackson said Drayton was enthusiastic in winter and spring workouts, "getting on the guys,
pepping us up." Vrabel, fresh off the NFL field, is expected to match the intensity of Fickell, his
best friend.

And Fickell clearly has already communicated how he wants his team to play.

Jackson said that as linebackers coach, Fickell "would always teach us about emotions, how the
game is emotional. (He and Vrabel) are not the type of people to hide it - they're the type of
people, they want you to harvest it."

Fullback Zach Boren also came away fired up from his first few meetings with his rookie head
coach.

Moeller cleared

Safety Tyler Moeller said yesterday he will be able to participate in full contact as soon as
preseason camp begins. Moeller, a sixth-year senior, tore a pectoral muscle last October and
underwent surgery. He was limited to non-contact drills in spring practice.